Shaswata Panja,I am still hoping that you will discuss your interpretation of the reference I gave which contains a teaching on caste......what do you think the Buddha was trying to teach there?

Also, I'm still hoping that you will discuss what it means that the Buddha denounced his familial lineage. I think I remember that Mr. Elst claimed that he never did this.........seems like what Mr. Elst wrote disagrees with the Scriptures. Would you like me to find the Scripture where the Buddha denounced his familial lineage so you can read it yourself?

Shaswata_Panja wrote: Didnot he say that he isnot bringing something new but rather somethingthat the Noble Ones already taught anddiscovered and were eventually forgotten? So thatmeans Vedics were alway encouraging amonthemselves to learn the teaching of NobleOnes..show me one Brahmin who spat on Buddhaor planned to kill Him or tried to dishonour histeachings or conspire against him..it was alwaysbad apples in is own Sangha (Devadutta) or fromsome other monastics (like that female nun whoclaimed to have been impregnated by GautamaBuddha)

Why would Vedics be encouraging among themselves to learn something that will eventually be forgotten, and that too when they already had eternal Vedas bestowed upon them? Vedics who did learn from the Buddha, not only gave up on Vedas but also the idea of anything being eternal which suggests why Sanskrit is almost a dead language.

1) Rishis of the Hindu tradition are known to have just about cursed everyone (God and Human) due to their lack of control of their anger and greed -- that shows a terrible lack of control and ethics and lack of understanding of TRUE DHARMA. They were not Buddhist Arahants, but the kind of rishis and gurus Buddha had no patience for. Shaswata_Panja would you like to begin with all the curses by your so called "Vedic Rishis" imposed on humanity and the gods? You want to read mantras and teachings on Dharma from these guys??? Good luck to you!

2)Now as to your assertion and Hindu assertion that Buddha simply rediscovered so called "Vedic" teachings from before, that's nonsense:

This is a complete misrepresentation of Buddha's teachings as far as the 4 Noble Truths are concerned:

The 4 Noble Truths is the most important thing -- it is True Dharma which covers the highest heavens to the lowest hells.

3) Buddha's evolution of the world is entirely different from the Hindu one. Hindus say we were born from Brahma, some from his feet, his thighs,etc.

Buddha in the Aganna Sutta claims every human is descended from Abhassara Devas and are not pieces of a whole -- we are high Gods and whole, no human is less or part of another. Buddha teaches us wholeness, Hindus always like to divide either on the basis caste and that you need to get married because you are half a person-- so Hindus say a human is part of a body part of Brahma and than even half of that (male/female) -- pathetic human indeed is the Hindu human. Of course the only Dharma for the woman is to worship her husband.

4)As for whether or not Buddha was a Hindu, this should be the final nail on that one -- The answer is a resounding NO! He was purely Buddha, he carried no baggage, completely in the present as Buddhists should be:

A brahman called Dona encountered the Buddha shortly after his enlightenment and, struck by the Buddha’s serenity, asked him:

“Sir, are you a god?”

“No, brahman.”

“Are you an angel?”

“No, brahman.”

“Are you a yakkha?

“No, brahman.”

“Are you a human being?”

“No, brahman.”

“When asked, ‘Are you a god?’ you answer, ‘No, brahman…’ When asked, ‘Are you an angel?’ you answer, ‘No, brahman..’ When asked, ‘Are you a yakkha?’ you answer, ‘No, brahman…’ When asked, ‘Are you a human being?’ you answer, ‘No, brahman…’ Then what sort of being are you?”

“Brahman, the defilements by which — if they were not abandoned — I would be a god: those are abandoned by me, their root destroyed, made like a palm tree stump, no longer subject to future arising. The defilements by which — if they were not abandoned — I would be an angel… a yakkha… a human being: those are abandoned by me, their root destroyed, made like a palm tree stump, no longer subject to future arising.

“Just as a blue or red or white lotus born in water, grows in water and stands up above the water untouched by it, so too I, who was born in the world and grew up in the world, have transcended the world, and I live untouched by the world. Remember me, brahman, as a Buddha.” .